The bosses of social mobility charity The Talent Tap are taking on a gruelling 64.5 mile run around the Isle of Wight to highlight the geographical and socio-economic barriers facing young people on the Island.
On 20th October 2023, CEO Naomi Ambrose will be joined by fellow team members, including The Talent Tap’s founder Nick Cowley and several current Talent Tap students, to run the equivalent of 2-and-a-half marathons back-to-back around the Island.
The money raised by the team will go directly to supporting more young islanders to access The Talent Tap’s life-changing programme. The Talent Tap is the only Social Mobility Charity with a direct presence on the Isle of Wight.
Young people from Year 13 can apply to the Talent Tap to receive up to 4 years of funded support including bursaries to visit universities, residential work experience opportunities in major UK cities, employability training, introductions to a network and mentoring. The programme aims to give students the knowledge, confidence, and skills they need to access employment on a level playing field with those from more privileged backgrounds.
The runners will start from the Barton Estate at approximately 22:00 on 20th October and run through the night, plus the following day, hoping to arrive back there by 17:00 on 21st October. The Talent Tap alumni and others who want to run a half marathon will join at Seaview Yacht Club at 14:00 on 21st October.
CEO Naomi Ambrose, who has been waking at 17:30 and running with a head torch to get the miles in before work, commented:
“Geographical location – and in this case, the sea – can play a huge part in the lives of young people trying to get ahead in their careers.”
“Running around this beautiful island will be a mega challenge for me and the team. But this is our way of highlighting the immense challenges young people here face through no fault of their own.
Article continues below this advertisement “Despite being just two miles away from the mainland, the Isle of Wight is worlds away when it comes to job and networking opportunities. There’s a real danger that if we don’t support teens on the Isle of Wight with relevant work experience and contacts, they could miss out on life chances that young people in cities and suburban areas have much easier access to.”
To sponsor the runners to go the extra mile(s) for Isle of Wight teens visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/team-talent-tap-round-iow.
The solution is simple for young people on the island. If they have any ambition and some sense, they leave.